1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for ejecting liquid droplet for drawing (picturing) a pattern on an elongated work (or workpiece) by using a functional liquid droplet ejection head, a work to be applied thereto, a method of manufacturing an electro-optic device, an electro-optic device, and electronic equipment.
2. Description of the Related Art
The apparatus for ejecting liquid droplet (also referred to as the liquid droplet ejection apparatus) includes an X-axis table for moving a suction table (set table) on which a sheet-type board (work) is mounted in the X-axis direction, a Y-axis table for moving the head unit on which a functional liquid droplet ejection head is mounted in the Y-axis direction, and is adapted in such a manner that a predetermined pattern is drawn on a board set thereon by driving the functional liquid droplet ejection head to discharge or eject while relatively moving the head unit and the board.
The liquid droplet ejection apparatus includes a pair of flushing boxes for receiving waste ejection from (all the ejection nozzles of) of a functional liquid droplet ejection head. The pair of flushing boxes are movably supported by the X-axis table and are disposed with the intermediary of the suction table therebetween in the X-axis direction. Therefore, when the X-axis table is driven, the head unit faces the flushing boxes and the set table (work) in sequence, and then the drawing operation is continuously carried out after the flushing operation. In this manner, by carrying out the flushing operation prior to the drawing operation, the functional liquid droplet ejection state of the functional liquid droplet ejection head can be stabilized, whereby the drawing process with high degree of accuracy is performed with respect to the work (see, e.g., JP-A-2003-266673).
In order to improve drawing efficiency with respect to the work, there is contemplated a liquid droplet ejection apparatus of roll-to-roll system in which a roll-type work having a plurality of actual drawing areas for drawing a drawing pattern provided in the longitudinal direction is introduced into a liquid droplet ejection apparatus, and drawing process is carried out for each actual drawing area while delivering (paying out) the work, and then the processed work is wound in sequence. However, in this case, since the work is delivered continuously, the flushing boxes cannot be disposed in the X-direction, which is the delivering direction of the work, and hence the flushing operation cannot be carried out with respect to the actual drawing areas before the drawing operation.